Mother's Day Blog Tour Book Review & Giveaway!!

This book is written from the viewpoint of a teenage girl, it even includes a section in the front telling us moms why we shouldn't read it. I thought it was very well written, and did bring back some memories of how I felt at that age...which was quite a few years ago. Since my youngest daughter is not quite technically a teenager, some of it didn't quite fit. However, since she is over 5'9" tall and has started experimenting with make-up, and is going through that lovely "It's Wonderful Being a Girl" phase, a lot of it did fit her...to a T. I haven't actually read the entire thing yet, but I am going to keep it handy for a quick reference when she does things I don't quite understand.

Here's the summary:
Every mom knows how communicating with a teenage girl can be difficult, even impossible at times. One-word answers. Defensive conversations. Daily arguments. How typical for teens to put up such barriers. All the while, moms truly long to know what their daughters really think.
Best-selling author Melody Carlson, whose books for women, teens, and children have sold more than three million copies, bridges this chasm with trusted insight. She speaks frankly in the voice of the teen daughters she’s written for and she tells it like it is: struggles with identity, guys, friendship, and even parents—it’s all here. The straight-talk to moms covers such things as “I need you, but you can’t make me admit it,” “I’m not as confident as I appear,” and “I have friends. I need a mother.”
Instead of focusing on outward behaviors, Dear Mom looks at a young woman’s heart and reveals to moms:
· how to talk to teens so they hear,
· how to connect despite the differences of perspective or years and experiences,
· and how strengthen the bond every mom and daughter ultimately wants.
The lively chapters in Dear Mom can be dipped into topically or used as a read-through tool by moms and daughters alike to understand what motivates or deflates, troubles or inspires—and just in time for Mother’s Day and all the Mother’s Days ahead.

Author Bio:
Melody Carlson is the award-winning author of more than one hundred books for adults, children, and teens, with sales totaling more than three million copies. Beloved for her Diary of a Teenage Girl and Notes from a Spinning Planet series, she’s also the author of the women’s novels Finding Alice (in production now for a Lifetime-TV movie), Crystal Lies, On This Day, These Boots Weren’t Made for Walking, and A Mile in My Flip-Flops. A mother of two grown sons, Melody lives in central Oregon with her husband and chocolate lab retriever. She’s a full-time writer and an avid gardener, biker, skier, and hiker.

To purchase a copy of this book or for more information about it, go to: RandomHouse.com

I also have an extra copy of "DEAR MOM" to give away to one of my lucky readers. To enter, please leave a comment after this post, about how you celebrated Mother's Day this year, and I will randomly draw the winner's name out of a hat on May 31st. This contest is open to all residents of the continental US! Good Luck!

Book: Mama’s Got A Fake I.D.

Author: Caryn Dahlstrand Rivedeneira

Summary:
Formula for identity loss:
1. Take one multifaceted, intriguing human being.
2. Bless her with a child.
3. Mix with today’s cultural assumptions.
4. Add the demands of motherhood.
5. Presto! All identity except Mom disappears.
For every woman wondering what happened to the unique combination of gifts and abilities she was known for before kids came along, Caryn Dahlstrand Rivedeneira has good news: in Mama’s Got a Fake I.D., Rivedeneira helps moms reclaim their full identity as creative beings, gifted professionals and volunteers, loving friends, children of God—and mothers.

This inspiring and practical guide shows women how to break free from false guilt, learn a new language to express who they really are, and follow God’s lead in sharing their true self with others. After all, motherhood doesn’t have to mean losing one’s identity. Instead, being a mom makes it possible for a woman to discover a more complete identity as the person God made her to be.

Author Bio:
The former managing editor of Marriage Partnership and Christian Parenting Today, Caryn Dahlstrand Rivedeneira has been a trusted voice writing and speaking to women for more than a decade. Today she is the managing editor of GiftedForLeadership.com, an online community for Christian women in leadership. Rivadeneira works from home in the Chicago suburbs, where she lives with her husband and their three children.
To purchase this book, or to learn more about it, go to RandomHouse.com and place your order.

Book: Enduring Justice I like to actually read these books before I review them, and I was looking forward to reading a novel for a change. I was not disappointed! This was a very good book from beginning to end, and was a real page turner. I did have a little trouble getting into it at first, because there are numerous characters, and the author lets you see not only through the heroine's eyes, but also writes from the perspective of her FBI agent boyfriend, and even takes you into the twisted minds of the racist terrorists that they are trying to stop. I found it to be a very entertaining read!
Here's the summary:
In Enduring Justice, Hanna Kessler’s childhood secret has remained buried for over two decades. But when the dark shadows of her past threaten to destroy those she loves, Hanna must face the summer that changed her life and the man who still haunts her thoughts.

Crimes Against Children FBI Agent, Michael Parker knows what it means to get knocked down. And when the system fails and a white supremacist is set free, Michael’s drive for retribution eclipses all else.

A racist’s well-planned assault forces Hanna and Michael to decide between executing vengeance and pursuing justice. When the attack turns personal, is healing still possible?

This thought-provoking novel deals with healing from sexual abuse, the balance of justice and mercy, and maintaining mixed-race friendships in the midst of racial tension. Readers who enjoy investigative thrillers by Dee Henderson, Colleen Coble, and Catherine Coulter, and who watch crime dramas like Law & Order: SVU, Criminal Minds, and Without a Trace will love this book—and the entire series.

Author Bio:
Amy Wallace is the author of Ransomed Dreams and Healing Promises, a homeschool mom, and self-confessed chocoholic. She is a graduate of the Gwinnett County Citizens Police Academy and a contributing author of several books including God Answers Moms’ Prayers and Chicken Soup for the Soul Healthy Living Series: Diabetes. She lives with her husband and three children in Georgia.

To get more info about "Enduring Justice" go to RandomHouse.Com.

For more chances to win these three great books, visit my good friends who have joined me on this book tour: Daisy Crazy and SassyFrazz. I believe Daisy is giving away one copy of each of the above books, and Sassy is giving away a copy of the two that I'm not...so check out their reviews and sign up for their giveaways too!